68.9% turnout in Hisar, Anna factor looms large

Hisar (Haryana): The bypoll for the Hisar
Lok Sabha seat on Thursday witnessed a voter turnout of 68.9 per
cent with the Anna factor raising the stakes for the ruling
Congress in a triangular fight.
The polling, necessitated due to the death of sitting MP
Bhajan Lal of Haryana Janhit Congress, passed off peacefully
in the nine assembly segments of the Lok Sabha constituency -
Adampur, Uklana SC, Narnaund, Hansi, Barwala, Hisar, Nalwa,
Uchana Kalan and Bawani Khera (SC), official sources said.

The by-poll will decide the electoral fortune of Jai
Prakash (Congress), Bhajan Lal`s son Kuldeep Bishnoi (HJC-BJP)
and Ajay Chautala (INLD). There are in all 40 candidates,
mostly independents, in the fray.

"The overall poll percentage of the nine assembly segments
stood at 68.9 per cent as against 69.3 per cent in 2009 and
67.72 in 2004 for the Hisar LS seat," Haryana`s Chief
Electoral Officer Sumita Misra told agency. Hisar has an
electorate of 13.32 lakh.
Polling began at 8 am and ended at 5 pm, though long
queues were seen inside the polling booths when voting was
about to end. For the first time, videography was done at all
polling stations.

Misra said polling remained completely peaceful and no
untoward incident was reported from anywhere.

As the day progressed, polling picked up and was brisk
in Adampur, Bhajan Lal`s family stronghold, which registered
the highest turnout of 75 per cent.

Uchana Kalan, which is represented in the Haryana Assembly
by INLD President and former Chief Minister Om Prakash
Chautala, witnessed the second highest turnout at 71.67 per
cent. However, Hisar Assembly segment recorded the lowest
turnout of 62.43 per cent.

Misra said barring a couple of technical glitches, the
polling passed off smoothly. EVMs had to be replaced at two
places in Narnaund constituency. In Agroha village in Adampur,
people boycotted polling against non-resolution of a dispute
over a piece of land.